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Locked on 09/22/2003 10:32:55 PM PDT by Jim Robinson, reason:
Emough already! |
Posted on 09/22/2003 8:47:36 PM PDT by Joe Hadenuf
Oregon has more Latinos than ever -- so say new Census Bureau estimates from 2000-02. In that time, the state's Hispanic population made a 12.4 percent jump, from 278,024 to 312,442.
That's no surprise to anyone who's noticed Spanish-speakers packing English classes, Latino-owned businesses booming and supermarket selections of Mexican food expanding.
Those numbers translate into Latinos having an increasing effect on the state through the work they do, the classes they take and the products they buy, say school, business and other officials.
"The evidence is everywhere," said Gale Castillo, director of the Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber. The chamber had a handful of members nine years ago and now has 465, she said. "There are more businesses, and they are creating jobs. (Latinos) are buying goods and services and supporting themselves and their families."
In Oregon, whites make up 82.7 percent of the population, or 2.9 million people. Hispanics -- a term the government uses because it considers "Hispanic" an ethnicity instead of a race and allows people of Hispanic ethnicity to identify themselves by more than one race -- make up 8.9 percent of the state's population, followed by Asian Americans, who account for 3.2 percent.
In fact, the state's Hispanic population was the ninth-fastest-growing in the nation, according to the two-year census report. Georgia, with a 16.8 percent increase, led the list of states with fast-growing Hispanic populations.
As the number of Oregon Latinos surges, more and more are thriving in their jobs and making the leap into home ownership, said Mike Escobar, a Tualatin real estate agent for Metro West Realty who sells homes to Latinos.
"There's a trend. First mom and dad buy a house, and then cousins and uncles want to do the same thing," Escobar said. "Many owned in Mexico, and they have the desire to own here."
Once they are settled, they can help recently arrived relatives do the same.
Such was the case for a secretary in his office, Minerva Navarrete. She left Mexico with her parents in 1990 to begin a new life with new opportunities in Hillsboro. Her husband-to-be, Rene Gallegos, followed five years later. Now that they own a home and have steady jobs, they're able to host a recently arrived cousin, Norverto Garcia.
Garcia, who says he came here almost two months ago with a work permit, heard his cousin talking about Oregon for years. Then -- despite news of unemployment in Oregon -- he decided to give this country a try.
"Work isn't good" in the Mexican state of Michoacan, said Garcia, who is doing odd jobs as a truck and trailer driver. "What we hear about Oregon (in Mexico) is that there are jobs, jobs, jobs."
Jobs that many other Oregonians are unwilling to take, Escobar said.
"Even though our state is suffering and unemployment is so high, in our community, if there's a job, we take it," he said. "It can be whatever -- landscaping, washing dishes. We take it."
Finding support services Although new Latino residents work, many also take classes to improve their skills, said Merced Flores, dean of adult and high school community learning programs at Mount Hood Community College. Word-of-mouth, Flores says, draws many to the college's night classes.
"They're a lot smarter about opportunities and support services now," he said. "In the past they wouldn't be finding them. Now they know what's available, and they know who to talk to."
In public schools, the number of English language learners continues to grow, said Chris Edison, database administrator at the Oregon Department of Education. During the 1998-99 school year, there were 38,285 students taking English language classes. During 2001-02, the number of students was 52,600, he said.
Strapped schools are doing their best to meet new Latino student needs, and some are shaping their curriculum more carefully to challenge students.
"Many are skilled in their native language, and we now group them into linguistic levels," said Tualatin High School teacher Rich Carrillo, walking down a hall with a group of students from his English for newcomers class.
"Before, they were all placed together regardless," he said. "The ones who are coming now, come to a school with structure" to support them.
For businesses, those growing families mean more demand for Mexican and Latin American food and other products. Many stores in the state are scrambling to meet demand.
"We follow trends, and you'd have to be pretty slow on the uptake to not notice and observe that the Hispanic population in this region is booming," said Bridget Flanagan, Safeway's director of public relations for Oregon and Southwest Washington.
The store now stocks everything from specialty meats such as tongue and tripe to corn husks, cactus leaves and dried peppers.
The boom in Oregon's Latino population is also helping smaller businesses, such as Tigard's Tortilleria San Gabriel. Standing by her roomlong corn tortilla machine Friday, co-owner Maria Trujillo said she's done well enough during the past year to buy a similar-size machine to make flour tortillas.
"I'm glad that the bigger supermarkets are offering so much to the community" of Latinos, she said. "But I'm glad that if they want fresh, hot tortillas, that they still come to us
Maybe the state or Federal government can help out in some way.
Reduced bus fares maybe?
The inmates are in charge of the asylum. No doubt about it.
We have a 16 year old niece in Oregon who this summer told me "she's poor," when I asked her what she was doing this summer. Now, she has a phone, TV, fax, computer, lives in a nice house with her school teacher Mom....(no Dad...that's part of the problem.).....But, of course she would NEVER lower herself to take a job "washing dishes." When she announced she was "poor" I had to make an exit for fear of making a scene. Makes me ill. Lots of American kids do NOT know what "poor" is.
Tongue? Tripe? Cactus leaves?
Uh, yummy.....
And lots do.
And here I thought Oregon had the highest unemployment rate in the entire country......
Why wouldn't they?
Spanish-speakers packing English classes, Latino-owned businesses booming
Your brown peril mongering is tiring.
Illegals? Read the article.
Enabled by your own government!
Wrong again. Ignorance is bliss.
Pathetic.
Because he knew full well there are many generous welfare programs if the job search doesn't work out. Also he knows that an American might need $8 an hour to support a wife and kids, own a home, buy health insurance and pay taxes --- so he can underbid that American by asking only $4 an hour with no benefits because he knows full well about those "support services".
Why wouldn't they?
I don't know, If I were the governor, I would do everything in my power to attract as many as could possibly fit into the state. When no more could fit, I would start building 70 story pink apartment buildings across the Oregon forest to house even more.
Maybe because Oregon already had a high unemployment rate? Why import poverty when you're already headed there? There is something to be said about trying to lower your welfare and unemployment rolls.
Too bad they didn't do more back in Michoacan. Maybe a little hard work and they could have had that place in tip-top shape.
It's a sickening sell out.
So people can't move there? Free Country.
Why import poverty when you're already headed there?
Lots of old hippies in Oregon...tough sh*t if they're poor.
There is something to be said about trying to lower your welfare and unemployment rolls.
Did you read your own article?
It speaks of people learning the language, working hard and buying homes. Just what Oregon needs.
Anything else?
Here's something...
51% of Hispanic California voters do NOT support Cruz. That's something to get excited about, fitz.
You're "funny".
Nice thread, try reading it first. Your own article diagrees with you!
Yes --- how about "Just what Mexico needs." Is Mexico getting one single bit better in any way? No. The solution to Mexico's many problems is not to bring every last Mexican to the US ---- they've got a country to build themselves.
Really?
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